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BY THE 



NORTHMEN. 



jpourtfi mXiiUmi. 




NEW- YORK: 

II PRINTED BY W. MOLINEUX, CORNER OF ANN AND NASSAU-STREETS. 





A 

LECTURE 



THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

BY 

THE NORTHMEN, 



FIVE HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE COLUMBUS, 
DELIVERED IN NEW YORK, 

AND IN THE OTHER CITIES OF THE STATE, ALSO IN SOME OF THE FIRST 

SEMINARIES. 



BY A. DAVIS, 

FORMERLY CHAPLAIN OF THE SENATE, ETC. OF NEW YORK. 



FOURTH EDITION, 

WITH ADDITIONS. 



N EW-YORK: 

PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL COLMAN, 

VIJI ASTOR HOUSE, BROADWAY. 

1830. 



Entered according to the Act of Congress, A. D. 18S9, by Asahel Davis, 

in the Cleric's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern 

District of Neiv Yor/i, 



W. MOLINEUX, PKINTER, 
CORNER OF ANN AND NASSAU STREETS. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



Extract of a Letter from Prof. WiUoughhij, President of the Medical 
College, Fairfield, N. Y. to G. W. Card, M. D., Ohio. 



"Mr. Davis is lecturing on History, 
and gave last evening to the citizens 
here, and to the students of both insti- 
tutions, a most eloquent and interesting 
lecture on the antiquity of our counti>y, 



and the utmost certainty of the disco- 
very thereof before the days of Colum- 
bus — to my mind the evidence is con- 
clusive." 



From Drs. Coventry and Goodsell, distinguished Physicians of 

Utica. 



" Mr. Davis has delivered the lec- 
ture which is noticed above to a large 
audience in this city. We the under- 
signed, who were present at its delive- 
ry, take great pleasure in expressing 



our own gratification and in stating our 
belief that all his auditors were highly 
pleased. The Lecture is instructive 
and interesting." 



From Mrs. Willard of Troy. 



" Mr. Davis has delivered an inter- 
esting and instructive lecture, relating 



to the history of our country, to the 
members of the Troy Fem. Seminary." 



The Commercial of Buffalo, Jan. 23, 



After speaking of the lecture, " On 
the discovery of the Northmen," says, 
" we have perused it somewhat hasti- 
ly and find it abounding with histori- 
cal facts of a very interesting nature. 



compiled with much care and labor 
and adorned with that poetry of thought 
so iadispensible when published in the 
form of a book." 



TO THE PUBLIC. 



The generous patronage rficeived for the delivery of the following Lecture 
leads to its publication. Though faint the ray of knowledge it may impart, 
yet I trust it will still be seen and its benefits rewarded while exhibited in a 
different medium. 

The sale of three editions, in a few raontlis, shows that this hope of suc- 
cess has not been disappointed. The fourth is presented with improve- 
ments. 

Together with original matter, the lecture is a compilation from some of 
the most popular periodicals of the day. To collect and ai'range facts from 
various sources — "hoc opus, hie labor est," The history of the Northmen, 
by Hon. Mr. \ATieaton, and the splendid work on American Antiquities, 
published last year in Denmark, have also been consulted. 



LECTUliE. 



While the beauties of the visible creation fade on the eye — while all nature 
reposes under the mantle of night, it is pleasant to leave the haunts of busi- 
ness for the lecture room, and to survey the dark regions of the past under 
the light of history. 

That curiosity which is attracted by theories, not because they are new, 
but because they are based in truth, is the first and last principle of a great 
and noble mind. It is this which induces the traveller to cross the turl)ulent 
ocean — to scale lofty mountains, and to sit down as on the brink of vol- 
canoes. It is this, which leads the naturalist to survey the works of crea- 
tion, where he sees that all things reflect the perfections of Deity; yes even 
the violet, fresh from the sleep of winter, tells him that there is a God, and 
that he is great and good. And it is curiosity that causes the historian to 
inquire when and ivhence was this mighty continent peopled"? 

That America was peopled by those in advance of the savage state long 
before any authentic accounts are given of settlements, is manifest from 
nameless monuments of antiquity found in various parts. 

The ruins of a city in Central America arc among the most striking of such. 
This city, called Palenque, lies two hundred and forty miles from Tabasco — 
lat. about 15°. N. 

It will be recollected that the avaricious Spaniards discovered and con- 
quered Mexico on the north, and Peru and Chili on the south of Central 
America, in the first place ; but, at length the solitude of the latter was bro- 
ken, and there was discovered the El Dorado, about which the whole Span- 
ish nation had so long been dreaming. It was found, not above, but beneath 
the surface of the earth — not on the wide and flowry plain; but under a fo- 
rest of huge trees. And there were discovered not such buildings as those 
erected by the Druids, of rough and mis-shapen stones ; but such as those in 
which kings dwell — built of licicn stone. 

The appearance of these ruins shows that a nation once existed there high- 
ly skilled in the mechanic arts, and in a state of civilization far beyond any 
thing that we have been led to believe of the aborigines, previous to the 
time of Columbus. 

A distinguished antiquary of New York has received from this city a beau- 
tiful specimen of the fine arts — an idol of pure gold. 

This city has emphatically been called the Thebes of America. In sur- 
veying its ruins, the traveller is led to believe that it was founded at as.early 
ii period as the renowned cities of Egypt. 



I, E<;TURIi i>M THE 

How inuneiise llus city ! It is Bupposed to have beeu sixty imles iu cu- 
itumlerence, and that it contained a population of nearly three millions. 
Great were its commercial privileges — even now, the broad and beautiful 
Otulum rolls along its desolated borders. 

Palenque, lying about one thousand miles from Mexico, and being eleva- 
ted five thousand feet above the ocean, enjoyed a climate almost unequalled 
for its pleasantness. The natural beauty of the scenery was unrivalled — 
the soil rich and fertile beyond any other portion of the globe. 

One of the principal structures revealed to the eye of the antiquarian is 
the teoculi or temple. Its style of architecture resembles the Gothic. It is 
rude, massive, -and durable. Though resembling the Egyptian edifices, 
yet this and_the other buildings are peculiar, and are different from all others 
hitherto known. 

The entrance to this temple is on the east side by a portico more than one 
hundred feet in length, and nine feet broad. The rectangular pillars of the 
portico have their architraves adorned with stucco work of shields and other 
devices. This temple stands on an elevation ol sixty feet. Would that its 
exalted location and its splendor were indicative of elevated and enlarged 
views its worshippers might have had of the Supreme Being ; but certain ob- 
jects or relievos, lead to the supposition that within its massive walls human 
beings were sacrificed to incensed divinities. Amid this wilderness of ruins 
are now to be seen fourteen large stone buildings with many of their apart- 
ments in good condition. 

The antiquity of this city is manifest not only from its nameless hierogly- 
phics and other objects; but from the age of some of the trees growing over 
buildings where once the hum of industry and the voice of merriment were 
heard. Two hundred natives were employed by the Spaniards in felling the 
trees and in consuming them by fire. Tiie v^ork was executed in about 
twenty days. 

The concentric circles of some of these trees were counted, which show- 
ed that they were more than nine hundred years of age. 

Lord Kingsboro' thinks that the inhabitants of this city of the desert were 
the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. One of the facts on which this 
theory is based is, that the temple resembles that of Solomon. His opinion 
is evidently erroneous, from the fact that the people of Palenque are differ- 
ent from all others in those distinguishing characteristics which have ever 
been assumed as the criteria of distinct species of men. The physical struc- 
ture of this people, as well as various characteristics, lead to the supposi- 
tion that they are not derived from any known pre-existent people; 

As yet, we must ask in vain, who were the founders of these cities of the 
dead 1 Alas ! their names have faded into oblivion. The remembrance of 
their deeds remains not even in tradition or legendary song. 

I am indebted to the politenes of the editors of those invaluable periodicals 
the Knickerbocker and the Now- York Review, for the figure of the Pal- 
enciam head and the cuts that represent the inscription on the "Dighton 
Uork." 



tt f ^^ C O V V. R V V A Al E I? t f \ . 



Shade of Spurz- 
heim ! tell if thou 
canst what quali- 
ties such a formed 
head as tliia im- 
plies. 




This helmet is 
said to resemble 
those described 
by Homer. 



Oh! that some mighty genius like that of Belzoni would arise and remove 
from this city of the world called new, the veil that conceals its origin.* 

It is supposed that this city was destroyed by some internal convulsion, 
or like those of the south of Europe, was overwhelmed by barbarians of the 
north. Such it is said were of Celtic origin. 

It is not singular that it should have been concealed from view for ages, 
when we recollect that cities of the eastern continent have, in like manner, 
remained in oblivion till of late. We allude to the ruins of Pestum in Cam- 
pania of Italy, and to those of Petra of Idumea in Asia. A new forest hid 
for centuries, the former from the degenerate sons of Rome, while the splen- 
did structures of Petra were known only to Bedouins for over a thousand 
years. Who does not delight to read about the roses of Pestum 1 Yet they 
still unfold their inimitable petals amid the ruins of palaces and beside di- 
lapidated temples. 

Do we admire the boundless forests, the lofty mountains, and the majestic 
rivers of our hemisphere 1 The vast wilderness of ruins, once enlivened 
by intelligent beings, should demand a higher claim to our admiration. 

The antiquities of America stretch from the great lakes of the north and 
west to central America, and the southern parts of Peru on the south ; from 



■* As the celebrated traveller J. L. Stephens, Esq. is appointed Minister to Guatiraala, it is his in- 
tention to visit Palenque. 



S A LECTURE ON THE 

the Allegany mountains on the east, to the Rocky mountains on the west ; 
and even from the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean. 

We will not say as the Athenians said of their nation, that the first inha- 
bitants of America were created when the sun was first lit up in the sky ; 
but we must presume they early reached this continent from the old world. 

The learned Dr. Clarke says that the continents were once united, but 
that by the force of winds and waves the isthmuses were broken up and 
formed into islands along the coasts. Easy however is the transition from 
the east to the west by the way of Bhering's straits when we consider that 
they are only thirteen leagues wide. 

Adverse winds also might have driven the frail vessels of the ancients to 
the region lying on the gulf of Mexico and elsewhere. 

But as the tropical animals found in America could not have crossed over 
by Bhering's straits when frozen, it is said they must have come by land 
that once extended from Asia to America in the torrid zone. Hence the 
course taken by the Palencians in coming from the plains of Shinar. It is 
evident that they must have come to Central America immediately after the 
flood, before any orders of architecture were invented, otherwise they 
would have introduced such into their new city. 

The traces of different races of men, now extinct, are to be found in 
America, as the dwarfish and the giant. The graves of the former, four 
and a half feet long, are seen in Georgia, and the bones of the latter farther 
north — some of the thigh bones are two or three inches longer than those 
of the present inhabitants — craniums are found large enough to cover the 
head of the observer. And is it strange it should have been said in the Sa- 
cred Volume ■? " And there were giants in those days." 

It is thought that the ancestors of the present race of Indians are of Tar- 
tar origin, who came to this continent by the way of the Fox Islands about 
A. D. 600. 

The eyes of mankind from the time of Pythagoras have been turned to the 
west in anticipation that here new discoveries were to be made and hither 
were the adventuroois at length led. 

And who was the first among known discoverers 1 "VMio are not ready to 
answer, Columbus 1 

A different answer might surprise some. One is given in the name of 
the Northmen. It is asserted that Leif, a Northman, was the first who 
discovered the country south of Greenland, unless we except Newfound- 
land. 

Biarne sailed from Norway, directed by the stars, for | Greenland ; but 
being driven by the winds for several days to the south, he saw an island — 
probably Newfoundland. 

The discovery of America by the Northmen excites a vast deal of curio- 
sity. And is it not a laudable curiosity that leads one to ascertain what 
white men first trod regions in which the modest wild flower wasted its 
sweetness on the desert air 1 



1> i S C O V E U Y O K A M E R I U A . W 

As Geography is one of the eyes of history, it would be well at this time 
to direct the attention to the map of North America, and to those of Massa- 
chusetts and Rhode Island in particular. 

The Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians in Copenhagen have lately 
published an important work. While the contents of this massive work are 
invaluable, its mechanical execution reflects great honor on the society that 
published it. 

This work is called, as translated from the Latin, " American Antiqui- 
ties, or northern writings of things in America before the time of Co- 
lumbus." 

The determination was formed about ten years since by the Royal Society 
of Antiquarians in Copenhagen to publish the authorities on which these 
accounts rest in the original documents, accompanied with full commenta- 
ries and illustrations. The text is in the Icelandic tongue. 

The inquiry is often made, who were the Northmen \ They were the de- 
scendant,s of the Scandinavians, who it is thought sprang from the Thracians 
mentioned by Homer — a nation now extinct. The Northmen lived in Den- 
mark and Norway. Their literature has been compared in extent to the 
literary remains of Greece and Latium. This opens a new fountain of re- 
search, where the scholar may often 

" Return and linger, linger and return.'' 

This great work contains two Icelandic documents now for the _/z>5f time 
published accurately in a complete form, purporting to be histories written 
by or for persons who discovered and visited the North American coast 
early in the eleventh century, confirmed and illustrated by extracts from no 
less than fifteen other original manuscripts, in which the facts set forth in 
these histories are either mentioned or alluded to. The Royal Society have 
already collected two thousand sagas or works of Scandinavian or Icelan- 
dic history. 

In this work in particular is found Adam Bremen''s account of the disco- 
very of America, communicated to him in the eleventh century by Sweyn 
Estrithson. king of Denmark. 

1st. Are these documents genuine 1 

2d. If so, why have they not been heard of before '! 

The work itself contains evidences of the antiquity and authenticity of 
the manuscripts from which the publication has been made, sufficient to 
raise them above any just suspicion. 

These documents, as Professor Rafn says, have been known to Icelandic 
scholars, but these have been so few, comparatively, and the means of these 
few so limited, that they have not been able to give them suitable examina- 
tion, much less to be at the expense of publishing them. 

How long did the ancient classics, for instance, lay concealed in the mo- 
nasteries of Europe for the want of some one to exhibit them to public viewt 
These Icelandic documents may have been hid in like manner in the libra- 

2 



10 LKCTURE ON 'I'HB 

ries of priests. And we may say that the Society of Antiquarians in Copen^ 
hagen, in bringing these documents to hght, resembles the conduct of the 
poet Laureate, Petrarch, iii the fourteenth century, who at his own expense, 
had the vahiable manuscripts of antiquity dragged from the dust of the 
cloisters, transcribed and exhibited to the world. 

Who does not admire the lovely scenery, where the beautiful and sublime 
are blended, displayed in the succession of falls at Trenton 1 Yet these 
were concealed for ages, till a master-spirit revealed them to an admiring 
world I And does not the raven wing of night hide the works of art also till 
disclosed in a similar way 1 The learned of Iceland, though like the gene- 
rality of poets, were poor, yet they were not disposed, like Milton, to sell 
their manuscripts for a paltry sum. 

It is well known the Norwegians have long claimed the honor of disco- 
vering and colonizing America before the time of Columbus. 

Instead of this discovery being a new fangied theory, as some say, there 
have been several works published in Europe, upwards of a century, which 
speak of these facts. One of these was printed at the university of Oxford, 
in 1716. 

Iceland appears to have been a medium of communication between Nor- 
way and Greenland — a stepping-stone, as it were, from one continent to 
another. 

Iceland, thought by some to be the " Ultima Thule" of Virgil, was disco- 
vered by the Norwegians in 861. The opiDression of king Harold Harfaga 
drove them there for an asylum 

But the restless spirit of the Northmen would not allow them to be idle. 
They made incursions in every direetion, and discovered Greenland in 
984. 

In 986, a colony was begun by Eric, the red. This was at length des- 
troyed. By the exertions of the Danish Society, the ruins of this settle- 
ment have been discovered. It was located on the west, near Cape Fax- 
well. It is seen in the remains of churches and buildings. 

Leif, the son of Eric, commenced a voyage of discovery in the year 1000. 
His crew cVjnsisted of thirty-five men.* 

After sailing for some time south west, they made land — they anchored 
and went ashore. This place was destitute of grass, and was covered with 
•a slaty rock which they called Helluland. This is supposed to be Labra- 
dor, Fishermen of the present day will give a like description of that bar- 
ren region. 

From thence they sailed southwardly, and after holding on for some 
time, they again made land and went ashore. This country was level, had 
a low coast, presenting here and there bluffs of white sand, and was thickly 
covered with wood. This they named Markland, or Woodland. This is 
thought to be Nova Scotia. 

* Lief was the first to introduce missionaries into Greenland. 



D I i- C O V il R r O K A M £ R I C A . H 

Leaving Markland, tliey sailed south westerly with a fair wind two days 
before seeing land again, when they passed down a promontory, probably 
the east side of Cape Cod, stretching east and north, and then turning west 
between an island (Martha's Vineyard) and the main land, they entered a 
bay, (Narragansett Bay,) through which a river flowed, (Taunton River,) 
when they came to anchor and went ashore. Resolving to spend the win- 
ter here, they called the place Leifsbuthir, or place of booths. Here find- 
ing grapes very plenty, they called the place Yineland or Wineland the 
good. This land, to those coming from the remote north, appeared as na- 
ure in the " world's first spring." 

Early in the season they returned to C4reenland. Leifs return became 
the principal subject of conversation. 

The next adventurer was Thorwald, his brotlier. And you v/ill observe 
that he and the other navigators gave the same account of places they 
visited. Were not this the case, who could believe any of their reports \ 

Thorwald, thinking the country had not been sufficiently explored, set 
sail in 1003, and proceeded to Leifsbuthir, where he lived till 1004. 

In the spring of 1004, he sailed from Leifsbuthir, after passing along the 
shore of the promontory east and north, they sailed round a sharp point of 
land called Kjarlanes. This must have been Cape Cod. Kjarlanes im- 
plies Kcelcape. For Cape Cod, at the extremity, is in shape of the keel of 
ancient vessels, which curved inward. 

It is supposed Thorwald was killed by the natives, near Plymouth. 

In 1006, Thorfins, or Thorfin, commanded one of the tliree ships that 
came from Iceland to Greenland. He was of royal lineage. 

In the spring of 1007, Thorfin, with three ships and one hundred and sixty 
men, besides cattle and all necessary materials for establishing a colony, 
set sail for vineland. 

They sailed to Helluland or Labrador ; from thence to Markland or Nova 
Scotia ; and from thence to Kjarlanes, or Cape Cod. Sailing south by the 
east side of the promontory, which terminated at Kjarlanes, they passed 
along beaches or trackless dserts of sand. How descriptive of this bleak 
and sterile coast. 

Those who have sailed from Boston to Narragansett Bay, arc ready to 
say, that I am not drawing an ideal picture. 

Continuing their course, they arrived at an island between which and the 
main land a stream appeared to pass. They called it Shaumey. This i.s 
supposed to be Martha's Vineyard. Nine men went away in one of the 
ships and never returned. It is said they were driven on the coast of Ire- 
land where they were seized as slaves. 

In the spring, Thorfin and one hundred and fifty-one others went to the 
main land. They called the place Hop, the residence afterwards of king 
Philip. Here they found large numbers of skrellings or natives. Thorfin 
carried on a traflic with them by exchanging bits of colored cloth for furs. 
In consequence of their frequent attacks, in 1009, they returnfld to Grefin- 



Id 



A LECTURE ON THE 



land. Then it will be recollected that the Northmen had not the use of 
fire-arms, with which to defend themselves against the assaults of the sava- 
ges. These lords of the wilds had a rude kind of engine by which they 
hurled large stones against their foes ; and it is possible that the white man 
would never have driven the red man from the Atlantic to the Rocky moun- 
tains, but for the invention of gun-powder. 

I cannot forbear to speak of the valor of one of this crew of the North- 
men, a female. When all the rest were disposed to flee before the savage 
foe, she exclaimed, "If I only had a weapon, I ween I could fight better 
than any of you." Ah, when we consider the patriotism of the females at 
the siege of Carthage, when they cut their locks to make ropes for engines 
of war, and when we recollect the courage of Isabella, of Castile, who at 
the conquest of Granada, though in ill health, led on her veterans to con- 
quest and glory, have we not reason to suppose that this Scandinavian was 
sincere in her declaration ] Truly, valor and benevolence are but parallel 
streams in the female heart. We would not applaud courage, however, 
unless under the control of a higher and holier principle. 

Thorfin married Gudrida, the widow of Thorstein, third son of Eric. 
She accompanied her husband to Vineland. Snorre, their son, was the first 
white child born in America. From him descended the distinguished as- 
sociate of Professor Rafn — Finn Magnusen. The great sculptor Thor- 
waldsen, nuw in Europe, is also of this family. Bishop Thulack Rudolfson 
was a descendant of Thorfin's, and it is supposed that he wrote or compiled 
these documents. 

While some of the Northmen went as far as Florida, I have spoken only 
of those who visited Vineland. 

Thorfin, the most distinguished of these, returned to Iceland, where he 
ended his days, living in great splendor. 

The editor of the American antiquities. Professor Rafn, and his associ- 
ate, Professor Finn Magnusen, think that Vineland was situated in the 
east port of Rhode Island, and in the south part of Massachusetts, on and 
about Narrgansett Bay and Taunton River. 

The points in the Icelandic documents alluding to the locality of Vine- 
land may be reckoned the Geography, Natural History, Astronomical 
Phenomena and vestiges of residence of Northmen in that place. All of 
these, in the opinion of the editor of the American Antiquities, point to the 
head of Narragansett Bay as the locality of Hop, the central part of Vine- 
land. 

As the Royal Society have held correspondence with several learned so- 
cieties in this country for some years, they are well qualified to form a 
judgment on this subject. 

The following letter from the late General Holstein, Professor in " Alba- 
ny Female Academy," will show the care taken to acquire information re- 
lative to American Antiquaties. 

"In proof of the great exertions made by the Northern Antiquarian Socie- 
ty in Copenhagen, to acquire a knowledge of Scandinavian Antiquitie.s in 



D I S C O \' E R V O F A M E R 1 C A . 13 

America, I hereby state that several years since, a letter of inquiry, sealed 
with the seal of the society, was sent to a professional gentleman of Geneva, 
in this state — a translation of which 1 made iromthe Danish tongue." 

The Geography of A^ineland. — Concerning the situation of Helluland, 
there can be no doubt, as it was the first land south west of Greenland. 
Where else could this have been, unless the coast of Labrador! 

Marliland was situated south west from Helluland, three days sail, o;- 
three hundred and sixty English miles. This is supposed to be Nova 
Scotia. 

The distance of Nova Scotia and. New Brunswick agrees with the ac- 
count the Icelanders gave of Markland. 

Vineland was situated two days sail, or about two hundred and forty En- 
glish miles to the south west of Markland, and if Markland has been pro- 
perly located, must be sought in or near the south part of Massachusetts. 

In the Icelandic documents it is said that Hop, the residence of Thorfin, 
was situated on an elevation of land, near a river which flowed south 
through a bay into the ocean. From this the land stretched east, and turn- 
ing north, formed a promontory which terminated in a point or cape which 
they call Kjarlanes. The east side of the promontory was bounded by loner 
narrow beaches or sand hills. To those, who like myself, have often view- 
ed the Atlantic from these sand hills, this account appears peculiarly 
striking. 

The Natural History of Vinland. — Yinland was remarkable for its 
vines, maple trees, maize, and a great variety of wild animals. The wa- 
ters abounded with fish, and were occasionally visited with whales. Birds 
were numerous. The eider duck was seen about tire islands in large 
numbers. • 

As to vines, tlaey are said to be numerous now, and this is more particu- 
larly true of the country around Narrangansett Bay. It is said the grapes 
are so numerous between Taunton and Providence, as to almost choke up 
the places where they grow. And was not an island called Martha's Vine- 
yard, on account of the multiplicity of vines giowing there? 

The celebrated Bishop Berkley, who attempted to establish a theological 
seminary in Rhode Island, says in his letter to his friends in Europe, that 
vines were as plenty on the island as in Italy. Gosnald who visited the 
Elizabeth Isles in 1603," says that vines were in great profusion there. 

In the documents it is said, that in that region are the red, sugar and bird's 
eye maple. The Northmen cut down the trees and after they were dry, they 
loaded their ships with the timber. It is supposed that the isird's eye varie- 
ty was made an article of commerce. 

As to Indian corn or maize, it seems our pilgrim fathers found some, in 
what is now called Truro, near the end of the Cape. It was buried in the 
earth. 

Deer still roam wild in the pine woods near Plvmouth. 



14 LJiCTURE ON THl! 

It is needless to remind the reader of the rnultiphcity of fish that still 
abound in the waters of this, region. The sportsman may, at this day, tell 
his friends in the language of Capt. Smith, of Jamestown, who described 
this quarter, "of the pleasure to be derived from angling and crossing the 
sweet air, from isle to isle, over the silent streams of a calm sea." 

As to whales, I have occasionally seen them spouting around the sandy 
shores of the Cape. 

In regard to the eider duck, in the documents it is said still to inhabit 
these parts. In the Latin translation it is called, " anas mollisima," a duck 
with the finest of feathers. Vv'ikl foul must have been numerous there, 
as an island is still called Egg Island from tlie quantity of eggs they de- 
posited. 

Thorfin describes the soil and clim.\te : — The winters of Vineland 
are said to be remarkably mild, but little snow falling, and cattle subsisting 
out of doors through the winter. 

This account does not agree with the description of New England win- 
ters at this time. Still however, it has been the practice of the farmers on 
Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, to let their sheep and cattle lie out during 
the winter But the cold winters of New England, compai-ed with those 
of Greenland, are as the mildness of spring. 

But there have been great changes in the face of the earth, and in the 
climate, in different ages. Change is the law of nature. ' Has not one of 
the bright cluster been blotted out of the map of heaven ? Such change also 
takes place on the face of the earth. 

The Dead Sea was, in earlier times, sixty miles long — it is now only 
thirty. And even old Ontario, has receded from her former bounds, leav- 
ing to the present generation a rich tract of land, several miles wide, and a 
beautiful ridge road. Who does not admir^the everlasting rocks, rising in 
stern grandeur, on either side of the Mohavi'k at the Little Falls ! Yet, the 
lovely vale above, must once have been the bed of a vast lake. This is 
manifest from the fact, that there are " pot holes" found at an elevation of 
sixty feet above the river, at these Falls. 

These circular excavations were made, ages since, by the circumvolution 
of stones, driven by the rapid descent of the waters. You can see a demon- 
stration of this fact by looking at the High Falls of the Black River, or 
Trenton. 

I have a specimen of Gneiss, broken from one of these holes, which 
though worn by the busy hand of old time, is as smooth as if polished by 
the lapidary. 

And what a mighty labor was that, tor the waters of this lake to have 
found their way, gradually, through the high and continuous wall of Gra- 
nite, where now the Mohawk murmurs as it rolls along its new channel. 

And how has the face of the earth changed in Massachusetts since visit- 
ed by the Scandinavians ? For instance, at the extremity of the Cape 
ra;lled Kjarlanes, I have seen, amid wide waves cf sand, innumerable 



U I £i C O V K 11 v. O F A M ERICA. 16 

Stumps of trees. So that where noio is comparatively a desert of sand, 'and 
one as bleak as tliat of Sahara, once stood a dense forest. As the ocean is 
constantly encroaching on these barren shores, Government is expending 
large sums to prevent its ravages by planting beach grass. 

One circumstance forces itself on my mind that may not be improper to 
name. 

I do not find that there is any mention in these documents of there being 
masses of sand at Kjarlanes. As it is said, the east side of the promontory 
v\^as bounded by long narrow beaches or sand hills, and from the remains of 
a forest of which I spake, at the extremity of this Cape, is it unreasonable 
to suppose it stood there in the days of the first voyagers ] 

Geological facts prove that it was much warmer formerly in the north 
than it is now. 

For instance, we find from the skeleton of the eleijhant, found in Siberia, 
that this tropical animal once roamed there. 

That amid the bogs in Ireland, in Lapland, and in the marshy parts of 
North America, where it is too cold now for forests to appear, they once 
flourished. In Scotland also are to be found the remains of oak trees. It 
is too cold at present for them to grow there. 

The following observations from the work of Hugh Williamson, M. D., 
on Climate, politely handed me by Professor Greene, of Albany, concur 
with the above views. 

It is not to be disputed that in former ages Iceland produced timber in 
abundance. Large trees are occasionally found there in the marshes and 
vallies that have been found to a consideiable depth in the ground. Seg- 
ments of these fossil trees have lately been exported in proof of the alleged 
fact. 

It is asserted in the ancient Icelandic records, that when Ingulf, the Nor- 
wegian first landed in Iceland, 879, he found so thick a cluster of birch 
trees, that he penetrated them with difficulty. 

Henderson in his Travels in Iceland says that the climate has deteriora- 
ted there from the fact that it was once shaded with forests. 

When the first Norwegian colony settled in Greenland, about 1000 years 
ago, they found no difficulty from ice in approaching the coast, and a regu- 
lar correspondence was sui)ported by their people for many^ears. 

And has not climate changed even in this region ! A gentleman of 
Mount Morris says, that f^'ty years ago, the winters were so mild in the 
Genessee Valley, that one could plough, and that swine lived through them 
in the woods. And is it unreasonable to suppose that the climate of New 
England was much milder in the days of the Northmen than it is now! 

The learned editor and his associate, deduce from the Astronomical data, 
lat. 41" 24' 10" which is the latitude of Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope. 
There, at the winter solstice, December 22d, the day is nine hours. 

That tl^ Northmen were capable of taking latitudes is evident from the 
circumstance, that at that period they speak of eclipses which have lately 



16 LKCTLIRE ON THE 

been calculated by Sir David Brewster, and the distinguished Norwegian 
Astronomer Hanstein, and found correct. 

The reading, liowever, that leads to the above calculation has been dis- 
puted. The whole controversy turns on the meaning of two words. From 
what we can understand, we presume the editor is correct in his exposition. 

But suppose we were to reject all history on account of some apparent or 
real discrepency in narration 1 In such a case, some future reader might 
declare that the History ^f the American Revolution was neither credible 
nor authentic ; for it is said that the distinguished battle of the 17th June, 
'75, was fought on Bunker's Hill instead of Breed's. Who does not know 
that Bunker's hill, rising back of Breed's, is more elevated than the latter on 
which the monument is rising "? I know not why Breed's Hill is called 
Bunker's ur.less on account of the greater harmony in the pronunciation of 
the latter, or that they proposed raising fortifications in the first place on 
Bunker's Hill. 

Little can be said of the vestiges of the residence of the North- 
men IN THIS country. 

There is a large rock at the junction of Smith's Creek with Taunton 
River, \VTth a singular inscription on it. It vyas evidently made with an 
iron instrument. Passing over the particular remarks of the editor, on 
these letters, I would give his supposition as to their meaning. 

Thorfin, with one hundred and fifty men took possession of this country. 

rxxx! nk 

t>ORFINX 

Where you see the character in the first line is the figure of a man ; and 
where the first character stands in the second line it is supposed T H was 
once made. 

Professor Rafn has deciphered an inscription on the Paradisic rock of 
Iceland, which he says, proves beyond doubt the European origin of the in- 
.scription on this in Massachusetts. 

Instead of IMr., Catlin's having seen like inscriptions on white quartz rocks 
at the west, I am told on the best authority that he says he has not seen such 
there. 

The antiquary to whom I before alluded, and who takes a deep interest in 
these things, says that he has visited " Vinland," and finds the places men- 
tioned in the documents identified. He has taken a copy of 'the above in- 
scription from the rock itself. 

While there are various similiar inscriptions in the vicinity of Mt. Hope, 
there is one in particular on a rock in the town of Kent, Connecticut, that on 
comparing it with the figures on Dighton rock, leads to the belief, that it 
was made by the Northmen. 



1.' I S C O V K 11 Y O F A M E R I C A , 17 

The people in the north of Europe were fond of making inscriptions on 
rocks on the borders of lakes and rivers ; for such are found in Norway, 
Sweden, and Scotland. They are called "runes." 

One of these inscriptions found on a rock in Sweden, has been decipher- 
ed by Professor Finn Magnusen. The inscription relates to a battle fought 
about A. D. 680 between the kings of Norway and Sweden. Accounts of 
this battle were given by authentic historians. 

As the monuments of antiquity in North America are diiferent from those 
in Mexico, Central and South America, they must have been left by differ- 
ent races. It is said there is a similiarity between the antiquities of North 
America and those found in the North of Europe. 

If the fabled Atalantis of Plato once lay west of Europe, might not the de- 
scendants of Japhet have passed to this continent by the way of Atalantis 
and Newfoundland as well as by Iceland 1 



Were the Northmen capable of making discoveries and of recording them 1 
The rude children of our forests could not perform a work so mighty. 

The Roman historian, Tacitus, spake of the invasion of the people of the 
north, before the Christian era. He says of the Cimbri, that they were not 
a small tribe, but mighty in fame ; that the vestiges of their ancient glory, 
still remained in their fortifications ; that no other nation had so often given 
them cause to dread their arms — not the Carthagenians, or Spaniards, or 
Gauls. 

In later times, the Northmen made incursions upon Germany, France* 
England the Orkney, Farroe and Shetland Isles. 

The French were in such fear of the Northmen, that they inserted in 
their Liturgy, A furore Normanorum, libera nos, Domine ! 

In the ninth and tenth centuries, the Danes, or Northmen, invaded or took 
part of England, and seated one of their favorite princes, Canute on the 
throne of Alfred. 

They were a daring people — the sea was their home — the mountain wave 
was the scene of their sport — far and wide did they wander without compass 
to guide. 

Their vessels were built of timber that is now eagerly sought by the first 
maritime nation of the earth. 

A people, some of whose leaders boasted of never having slept by a cot- 
tage fire, became the dread of Christendom. They ruled the vvaters from 
the Arctic ocean, to the Azores — they passed between the pillars of Hercu- 
les — they ravaged the coasts of Spain and France — sacked the cities of Tus- 
cany — dro^e the Saracens from Sicily. They desolated the classic fields of 
Greece — penetrated the walls of Constantinople. Yes, in rescuing the Holy 
Sepulchre, they led the van of the chivalry of Europe. Mark their valor and 
their success. For one hundred Northmen knights with one aid,- or squire 
each, drove ten thousand Saracens from Sicily. 

3 



18 LECTURE ON THE 

Scott gives a beautiful description of this remarkable people, in speaking 
of the Western Isles. 

"Thitlicr came in times afar, 
Stern Lochlin's sons of roving war; 
The Northmen, trained to fire and blood, 
Skilled to prepare the raven's food ; 
Kings of the main, their leaders brave, 
Their barks the dragons of the wave.'"" 

. Seest thou the tiny fleet of some school boy, launched on an insulated 
sheet of water ■? And such were the greatest armaments of the famous na- 
'ions of antiquity, compared with those of the Northmen. 

The present illustrious queen of England is a direct descendant of the 
Northmen. It will be recollected that RoUo, the Norman, invaded France, 
in 912, and enthroned himself in the north. In 1066, William of Normandy, 
conquered England. These sovereigns were Northmen, and from their 
family the pride and glory of Great Britain descended. 

At the beginning of the eleventh century, the Danes and Norwegians were 
converted to Christianity, and thereby received a new impulse, that led them 
to extend the blessings of the Gospel. And who, but this people, could 
ever have established missions in Greenland ] . 



Wlrat shall we say of the ability of the 'Northmen, to record incidents of 
their voyage. 

In the year 1000, on their conversion to Cluristianity, they adopted the 
Roman alphabet. This was their Augustan age. The thirst of the Iceland- 
ers for learning, is seen in the conduct of Ulfigot, their supreme legislator, 
who, in 925, undertook a voyage to Norway, in his sixtieth year, to acquire 
a more perfect knowledge of the legal customs and institutions of the parent 
country. 

In Iceland, the learned were called Skalds and Sagamen. 

The former were poets and historians. Skalds denote " Smoothers or 
polishers of language." 

The Sagamen recited in prose, with greater detail, what the Skalds had 
recited in verse. 

By the recitations of the Skalds, the real and traditionary history of the 
country was transmitted from generation to generation. 

Memory, is perhaps the most improvable faculty of our nature. Deprived 
of books, it depends upon its own resources. Its strength is seen in the 
following instance : An Icelandic Skald, sang sixty diflferent lays in one 
evening before King Harold Sigurdson, and being asked if liQi knew any 
more, declared that these were only the half of what he could sing. 

Their traditionary histories were written down and preserved. 

As poetry is among the antiquities of all nations, the events it records have 
ever been preserved by the recitations of Skalds, Minstrels, or Bards. 

*In describing king Harold'* ship it is said — "And dragons' heads adorn the prow of gold." 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 19 

And whom does the conqueror ofWales cut off from the land ? Does not 
Edward the First, of England, destroy the minstrels of Wales, lest they 
should, by their recitations, awaken that spirit of liberty in the breast of the 
vanquished, which would lead them to throw off the yoke of the British 
monarch 1 

These Skalds were distinguished men — the companions of kings. They 
were sometimes kings, as in the instance of Regnar Loldbrok. 

The Sagamen made their recitations in public and private, at convenient 
opportunities. 

If Augustus delighted to have Virgil and Horace on either hand, so the 
Scandinavian monarchs rejoiced to have Skalds and Sagamen in their 
presence. 

At solemn feasts, the services of these men were required. 

Sasmund, in 1056, collected the different poems relating to the mythology 
and history of the north. The collection was called the "Poetic Edda." 
He was a man of learning, having been educated at the univei'sities of Ger- 
many and France. 

He performed for the ancient poems, the same office which is said to have 
been done by the ancient Greek rhapsodist, who first collected and ar- 
ranged the songs of his predecessors, and reduced them to one continuous 
poem, called Homer's Iliad. 

Snorre Sturslon, judge of Iceland, was the most distinguished scholar of 
his day. His principal work was the Prosaic Edda. It treats, in particular 
of Scandinavian mythology. He lived in 1178. His bath still attracts the 
attention of the traveller. The aqueduct of it is five hundred feet long, and 
is composed of hewn stone, finely united by cement. The reservoir is sim- 
ilarly constructed, and will contam thirty persons. The water was supplied 
from one of their warm springs. 

The general characteristics of the Jcelandic tongue, are copiousness, 
energy, and flexibity, to an extent that rivals every modern language and 
which enables it to enter into successful competition with the Greek and 
Latin. 

Were not the Icelanders then capable of recording the events incident to 
a voyage of discovery'? 

The internal evidences found in these documents, are in favor of their 
authenticity. 

Besides, there are in existence a series of works from the time when these 
voyages purport to have been made, down to the present time, which have 
been preserved, and which make mention of these discoveries. 

Distinguished men, who have had superior opportunities of ascertaining 
the merits of this question, have come to the conclusion, that the descend- 
ants of the Scandinavians were tire discoverers of America, prior to the 
time of Columbus. Among these are Forster, Wheaton, and Baron Von 
Humboldt. 

I know not that any of the Northmen returned to this part of the conti- 
nent to live. 



30 N li C T U R li O N '1' 11 i: 

It is said, liishop Eric came to Vinland, in 1121, and tliat the Iceland- 
ers visited Nova Scotia in 1347. 

It is supposed that while Thorfin returned to Iceland, his men formed 
colonies in this region. Although driven away at first from Vinland by 
the natives ; yet it is possible they might have returned to this quarter and 
left evidences of their arts in the antiquities I shall name hereafter. 



There are evidences that New England and this country were inhabited 
by a race superior to those found by our forefathers in 1620. 

In proof of this, I would mention some things that came under my own 
observation. I shall be excused for introducing them, as they are connected 
with the place where tlie Northmen sojourned. 

How fond is man to linger around mouldering ruins — to fix the eye on the 
mutilated column, overgrown with ivy ; but are there not antiquities as 
worthy as those of art 1 I mean those of our own species. 

I shall make a remark on a human skeleton I saw, not long since, at Fall 
River, in the vicinity of Narragansett JBay. 

I stopped at Pocasset House. You observe they use Indian names in 
Massachusetts as well as in New York. Hov/ striking the remarks of Pro- 
fessor Hitchcock, in the Geology of Massachusetts, when he declaims 
against the uncouth names given to some of its mountains. He would pre • 
far the harmony of Indian names. 

I had an extensive view of the region around Mount Hope, lying on the 
west of Narragansett Bay. How accurately is the scenery portrayed in 
the Icelandic documents ! 

In the Museum, next door, was the skeleton of one as illustrious as the 
son of Massasoit. It will be recollected that he was a distinguished chief; 
a firm friend of the pilgrims at Plymouth. He had two sons, Alexander and 
Phihp. The latter was killed in a piece of woods near Fall River. Beau- 
tiful is the situation of Mount Hope. On passing it lately, the place v/here 
Philip's house stood, was pointed out. Mount Hope has become a place of 
resort for those who wish to inhale a pure air, and to witness some of the 
most attractive scenery our country presents. 

This skeleton was dug up, a few years since, in that place. It has a 
breast plate or medal hanging from its neck, thirteen inches long, and six in 
width at the top, and five at the bottom. It has also, an ornament of fillet 
work around its body, four and a half inches wide. These ornaments are 
made of brass. A knawledge of the uses of this artificial metal, implies 
a considerable advance in the arts. 

I witnessed lately an object of interest in this state. 

Not long since, a large oak tree cut down in Lyons, was taken to New- 
ark, and on sawing it, there were found, near the centre, the marks of an 
axe. On counting the concentric circles, it was discovered, that four hun- 
dred and sixtv had been formed since the cutting was made. 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 21 

But the most striking circumstance is, that this large cavity, now visible, 
was made, by ^n edged tool. The rude stone axes of the present race of 
Indians could never have made clefts so smooth as those I saw in the block 
at the Hotel in Newark. 

A clergyman of Cummington, Massachusetts told me he saw a like cut in 
a hemlock of that place. Since made by an edged tool, three hundred and 
twenty-two circles had been formed. 

I have seen a similar cutting made in an oak tree at Lockport, probably 
300 years since. I examined also a piece of burnt brick taken from be- 
neath an oak tree 2 feet 10 inches diameter, at the ruins of a fortification in 
Wisconsin. 

Such objects as these, shew that the light of knowledge was lit up here 
long before the time of Columbus. And by whom this was done, and by 
whom it was blown out, possibly some future antiquaries can tell. 



An important inquiry arises. Was Columbus aware of the discoveries by 
the Northmen ■? 

From a letter preserv«'.d by his son, it appears that he visited Iceland in 
1477. And it is thought by some, that he there obtained a knowledge of 
the discovery of Vinland. Allowing this to be the case, it is singular he 
should never have given any informations of such knowledge. 

Instead of walking through Spain, leading his son by the hand, would he 
not at once have rushed into the presence of the sovereigns, and acquired 
patronage, wealth and honor, by telling them that the obscure Icelanders 
had discovered the region he wished to unfold 1 

His greatest enemies never accused him of having reached the new world 
by information received from Iceland. 

After all, let not the circumstance of this prior discovery cause, in our 
view, the laurels given to Columbus to wither on his brow. Let us ever 
honor him for his perseverence and his virtues. 

Let not Leif, and his associate Northmen, deprive him of what the voice of 
nations has awarded, the merit of having given, not to Ferdinand and Isa- 
bella only, but to successive generations a new world. 



Iceland, though but a speck on the bosom of the northern ocean, is not 
unworthy our notice. Though dark to the superficial observer ; yet it shines 
with a lustre, brighter than the flame rising from its volcano. It is the 
light of knowledge. That obscure island is remarkable for the attention 
paid to learning. Even many among the common class pursue the higher 
branches of study. Their long nights are enlivened by the custom of every 
member of the family gathering around the bright lamp, while one reads for 
the amusement and instruction of all. 



29 I. E C T U R E O N T H B 

The sources of happiness are not like those of mighty rivers hid from the 
view of most people — they are accessible to all The Icelanders living in 
a remote island, and cut off from privileges that milder climates present, are 
naturally led to look for happiness in the pursuit of knowledge. 

If the celebrated Pliny could say liis books were sovereign consolers of 
sorrow, cannot the Icelander also declare, that when mountain waves lash 
the shores, he can find pleasure in the pursuit of those studies that mend the 
heart and enlighten the mindl Ah, yes, fondness for books will create an 
artificial summer in the depths of the most gloomy season. 

The sunny Italy may boast of the beauteous tints that flush her skies ; 
but after all, her effeminate inhabitants may be destitute of that happiness 
enjoyed by those who live where winter reigns uncontrolled most of the 
year. 

The benevolence of Deity is seen in the contentedness felt by those who 
live in the higher latitudes, where, as a writer said of countries north of the 
Alps, nature seems to have acted the part of step-mother. 

Wliat a contrast between the condition of the Icelanders and that of their 
forefathers. They were the worshippers of the god Wodin. And what 
were his attributes "? He was styled the Father of Carnage ! His greatest 
favorites were such as destroyed most of their fellow-creatures in the field 
of battle. 

But the Prince of Peace has broken the sceptre of the Father of Carnage. 

And here where the Northmen found those who heard the Great Spirit in 
the thunder, now those tidings are proclaimed that impart joy to all people. 

This, as Cicero said of Rome, is the glory of all lands. 

" Wisdom and knowledge are the stability of our times. All classes 
become sensible that knowledge is the guardian of property. In every 
place, they eagerly seek after that wisdom which as Isocrates says is 
the only imperishable treasure. Who can stay the jDrogress of knowledge I 
You might as well think of erecting a tower whence you could grasp the 
Pleiades as to attempt to oppose the march of mind. To swell the tide of 
improvement, it is pleasing to reflect that men of the first talents are en- 
gaged, and that through the medium of those lectures, which, if they are 
not the fountains of knowledge, are important guides to them. 



A word in praise of the Scandinavians. Like the Patriarch, they went in 
search of a region, they knew not where. We praise them for their courage 
. — we applaud them for their zeal — we respect them for their motives ; for 
they were anxious to enlarge the boundaries of knowledge. They reached 
the wished-for land, 

Where now the western sun. 
O'er fields, and floods, o'er every living soul 
Dift'useth glad repose. 

The Scandinavians have opened to the view a broad region, where smiling 
hope invite!^ successive generations from the old world. 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 23" 

Such men as Caesar or a Tamerlane conquer but to devastate countries. 
Discoverers add new regions of fertility and beauty to those already known. 
And are not the hardy adventurers, ploughing the briny wave, more attrac- 
tive than the troops of Alexander, marching to conquer the world, with 
plumes waving in the gentle breeze, with arms 'glittering in the sun-beams ■?■' 
Who can tell the benefits the former confer on mankind ■? 

To count them all demands a thousand tongues, 
A throat of brass and adamantine lungs. 



W. Molineux, Printer, cor. of Anii and Nassau-sta-cetis, N. Y. 



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